Two shows at Gulbenkian Theatre explore migration and its impacts

Plays taking place in October provide insightful and thought-provoking views on migrations and its causes, at a time when major research into this issue is set to take place at Kent.

The first show, called The Believers Are But Brothers, takes place on Tuesday 16 October and Wednesday 17 October at 19.30. The show invites the audience to join a WhatsApp group as part of the experience, to understand how technology can be used to radicalise young people.

The play is directed by Javaad Alipoor and was a winner of the 2017 Scotsman Fringe First Award. Tickets are priced at £12.80, or £8.80 for student and young persons. The show is suitable for ages 12 and above.

The second play, called Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story (pictured above), is a musical telling the true story of love between two people migrating to Canada. It takes place on Friday 19 October and Saturday 20 October at 19.30. The show is suitable for ages 14 and above and tickets cost between £5 – £16.

The play is produced by 2b theatre company and their director Christian Barry, playwright Hannah Moscovitch and musician Ben Caplan to explore what ‘old stock’ really means in a country founded by immigration.

The two performances have strong connections with research that will take place at the University after it was awarded a grant of just under €4m to provide an historical, cultural and social understanding of the roots of migration, its causes and its impacts.

The University also runs the Kent Refugee Fund that enables staff and students to continue with their studies and careers.

Director of Gulbenkian, Oliver Carruthers, said: ‘These two plays both promise to offer thought-provoking insights on ideas and concerns around migration. This is a major issue, both in the UK and the wider world, and research being done at Kent only serves to underline the importance of understanding the real reasons that people move between nations and across borders.’